Rose Koob can’t help but laugh as she rolls out a ball of whole wheat pizza dough into a misshapen circle. It doesn’t look like the perfect pizza crust you see at a pizzeria.

It’s day three of summer camp, and while Koob, a 12-year-old Sioux Falls girl, hasn’t known her fellow campers very long, they’ve quickly become friends, giggling at a couple of boys who are tossing their flattened dough into the air.

New friends, fun and a lot of laughter is what summer camps are made of.

But this is no ordinary camp. This is Camp Fuel. And making pizza isn’t just a way to satisfy the campers’ hunger. These are pizzas with a purpose.

“It’s a way we can teach these kids to have fun with healthy eating,” says Jocelyn Johnson, a community education dietitian with Sanford Health, which organizes the camp.

Camp Fuel is a week-long day camp for ages 9 to 12. The goal of the week? To dispel myths and media messages targeted at youth about nutrition, activity, body image and acceptance to promote a positive self-image, Johnson says.

Fulfilling the purpose of the camp is kind of a tall order, Johnson admits. But camp organizers focus on making the lessons fun.

One day, the kids tried Zumba. “Everybody was out there dancing,” Johnson says. “They all thought it was fun, and they were all working up a sweat. I don’t think they realized they were getting exercise, because it was so much more fun than running laps.”

Another day, they toured a local organic vegetable farm. There, kids were able to pick their own radishes before cleaning, chopping and cooking them, Johnson says.

Participation is a key component to encouraging healthy eating, Johnson says. A little peer pressure doesn’t hurt, either. When one kid tries something new, others usually follow, Kristin Laberis adds as she tells the campers about the toppings they’ll be adding to their pizza.

“We’re going to do tomato slices instead of pizza sauce. Trust me, it tastes really good,” says Laberis, wellness coordinator for Sanford’s Center for Health and Well-being, as she tries to appease her skeptical audience. “It’s what’s called a Napoleon-style pizza, like what they serve in Italy.”

While the pizzas baked, Laberis had the kids make dessert — a healthy cookie dough dip made with garbanzo beans.

Finally, it was time to eat.

“It’s interesting to see all the ingredients that go into something,” Koob says. “It really does taste better when you make it yourself.”

That, Johnson says, is a healthy lesson learned.

Margherita Pizza

• 1 tablespoon yeast

• 1 cup very warm water (approximately 100 degrees)

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

• 1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour

• 1 ¼ cups white flour

• 1 large tomato, cut into thin slices

• 1 ball fresh mozzarella, cut into thin slices

• 2 cups baby arugula

To make the pizza crust, put the yeast, water and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Let the yeast activate for a few minutes. Stir in the salt, 2 tablespoons olive oil and the flours. Mix until dough is smooth, about 4 minutes.

Roll out dough into two pizza crusts. Place on baking sheets and put into a 400-degree oven. Bake 10-15 minutes until crust is cooked through.

To assemble pizza, layer olive oil, tomato slices and mozzarella slices on the pizza crust. Place under oven broiler and broil until cheese melts. Toss arugula on top of the pizza and serve.

Recipe from Kristin Laberis, wellness coordinator for Sanford’s Center for Health and Well-being

Healthy Cookie Dough Dip

• 1 can rinsed chickpeas or white beans

• Pinch of salt

• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• ¼ cup nut butter of choice

• Up to ¼ cup milk of choice, only if needed

• 2/3 cup brown sugar

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

• 3 tablespoons quick oats or ground flax

Add all ingredients except chocolate chips and milk to a food processor (not blender) and blend until very smooth. Add milk as needed to make the mixture smooth. Mix in the chocolate chips and serve with graham crackers and fruit or eat plain by the spoonful.

Recipe from Kristin Laberis, wellness coordinator for Sanford’s Center for Health and Well-being

@argusleader.com

See more photos from Camp Fuel and get the recipes for Margherita Pizza and Healthy Cookie Dough Dip.